An unexpected baby boom: penguins were spotted near Vernadsky hatching eggs for the second time this season

There is an unexpected baby boom near the Akademik Vernadsky Antarctic station on Galindez Island. Researchers have spotted penguins hatching eggs for the second time this season.

According to the Ukrainian polar explorers, this is a miracle, as active egg-laying on the island took place back in November. The Vernadsky scientists wrote about the unexpected discovery, as well as the unique family of penguins with three chicks growing up at once, on the Facebook page of the National Antarctic Research Center.

"Our polar explorers have discovered a pair of penguins that are just hatching eggs. Although active egg-laying on the island took place back in November," the biologists from the Ukrainian Antarctic station emphasized in the post.

According to the experts, these penguins "are either somewhat late or have lost their first clutch." "In such cases, sub-Antarctic penguins may try to become parents for the second time," the researchers say.

The Ukrainian polar explorers also shared photos of a unique large penguin family with three babies hatched at once. Despite the fact that their chances of survival were scanty, as such a number of babies in one pair is quite rare for sub-Antarctic penguins, the babies not only survived but also celebrated their six-month anniversary.

Vernadsky biologists say that these birds usually lay two eggs. Sometimes there can be three eggs in a clutch, but usually, all of them do not survive, because it is difficult for parents to feed them all.

However, this large family is happy and the penguins are almost grown up. "In the near future, the kids will change their down to feathers, and then they will learn to swim on their own," the polar explorers say.

According to Svitozar Davydenko, biologist of the 29th UAE, about two thousand penguins were born on Galindez island this season. "Most of them are already actively molting and gathering in nurseries. These are groups of youngsters supervised by several adults," the biologist added.

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